DRINKWINE: Guy things, and hunting things

By
Terry Drinkwine, The Macomb Daily

Sunday, June 2, 2013

As I prepare for the first of several trips with friends of like mind and temperament, I fall into the old trap of out-thinking myself. Do I want to rig the 4 wt. with a mono leader or braided? Actually, I have several packs of both in my vest ……gear bag, reel case and in a pocket or two of a favorite fishing shirt.

And so it goes as I gather, sort, make a mess and begin all over again with “She Who Must Be Obeyed” shaking her head. I do my best not to give her any more reasons to lose interest in my going because the guys are expecting stuffed cabbages and, well, I don’t make them.

This is a “guy thing”. We don’t pay half the attention to making investments, paying bills or when buying a car as we do packing when we’re off to meet the boys at some remote old cabin to sleep on a lumpy mattress (if one is available) and drink out of unmatched chipped cups, competing with bugs for jam covered toast (burned, of course).

Selecting rods isn’t a problem, we just bring them all - or at least one of each wt. Reels take up a good portion of the gear bag too. And then there are the essentials: Bourbon; not just any bourbon, but a local brand I found in Virginia; nuts from Costco; various medications to keep me from flopping around like a fish after over doing the glazed donuts … and a laptop. (Don’t ask)

The cabin that I’ll share with 9 others and call home was built over one hundred years ago and, thankfully, has had a number of improvements made - not the least of which is indoor plumbing, with wooden toilet seats. The owner must have MSU connections because his genius for interior decoration includes Spartan memorabilia amidst old books - some of which are Hemingway’s Nick Adams stories - old mounts and photos of a bygone era that decorate log walls. The furniture too is dated, some going back to, maybe, the original cabin.

The cabin sits on a bluff overlooking the North Branch. Stairs wind their way down to a small platform that allows easy entrance into the river and to dock a canoe. The current is moderate in the middle as the river bends and continues to its confluence with the Main Branch. Grass islands dot the picturesque view of clear, pristine trout water. Hatches are sporadic then everywhere; duns and spinners fulfill the lifecycle and produce instinctive reactions from natives and their cousins.

Sleep comes easy at the end of a day on the river. The smells and sounds are soothing as the gurgling river goes about its centuries old way. If I close my eyes I can almost hear canoes carrying Native Peoples as they paddle their way home from a successful hunt or trading foray. It’s the kind of place that stirs the imagination and, though only a tenth of a mile from a paved road, gives the feel of wilderness ….with wood toilet seats, of course.

This year, the plan is to explore Big Creek. Not as big as the North Branch, it has its open spots and holds brook trout. A short rod is a benefit, but truth be told, few people care and use the 4 or 5 wt. rods they use everywhere else.

Someone once asked why I have so many rods. My answer was, “because I can.” And that’s as true a statement as there is; there is a difference between having a lot and needing a lot. The idea is to fish. Everything else is a whim. Those with new rods will uncase them, show them off, use them a few times, then put them back in the case and get out the old favorite and fish.

Members of this group of Piscators come from all over the state and cover a large spectrum of backgrounds and ages. From greybeards to tadpoles, the mix is as pleasing as two fingers of Bowman Bros. Bourbon in …well, anything really.

Fishing is picking up all over. Smallmouth are being caught in the mouth of the Detroit River and in Lake St Clair. Floats are being booked for everything from walleye, smallmouth and silver bass to Muskie. It’s all falling into place.

The Huron is also beginning to produce and despite rain and high water, steamers are beginning to give way to nymphs and dry flies.

It won’t be long for carp. Watch for mulberries to come out. When they fall from the bush, carp, hearing the sound and feeling the vibrations, almost attack them. If you tie on a yarn fly (a big bushy egg pattern) throw it near a mulberry bush, slapping it down on the water and get ready for some fun to rival a salmon on the end of your line.